Light Rail

About Joyce Clark

Contact information for Councilmember Joyce Clark
Home: 623-772-9795
Cell: 602-320-3422
Office: 623-930-2249
Please call between the hours of 9 AM - 5 PM
Email:
clarkjv@aol.com
jclark@glendaleaz.com
Joyce Clark is a 49 year resident of Glendale. She has a BA in History and Education and graduated from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. Her past careers include teacher of high school history, small business ownership of a book store, a professional ceramist and was the founder of a retail craft gallery. Joyce and her husband, Charles, have three children and seven grandchildren.

Joyce was first elected as your Yucca district Councilmember in 1992 and served Glendale and the Yucca district from 1992 to 1996. Joyce took a four year break from public service when her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s to personally care for her. In 2000 she successfully ran again for Yucca district councilmember as a write in candidate against the incumbent. She is the only candidate in Arizona to achieve a write in victory over an incumbent. She was your voice for the Yucca district for 16 years.

Joyce retired in December, 2012, and as a private citizen Joyce did many of the things she never had the time to pursue. Two of those are the tender care and feeding of her koi pond and blog writing on issues in Glendale, Arizona.

In March of 2016, Joyce announced that she would leave retirement and run for the Yucca district council seat in Glendale. Once again Joyce defeated an incumbent and on December 13, 2016 she took office as the Yucca district councilmember for another four year term, ending in December of 2020.

Joyce is the only elected official in the State of Arizona to have defeated an incumbent as a write-in candidate and then to defeat a second, different incumbent as a candidate.

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

In 2009 when Jerry Moyes put the Coyotes into bankruptcy NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was desperate to save the situation. His worst nightmare would have come true if Moyes had succeeded in selling the team to Jim Balsille and the team was moved to Canada.

Then, as now, someone or something, had to be thrown under the bus…because, of course, it’s never the League’s fault or a team’s fault when a team goes south. Back then, Jerry Moyes went under the bus but deservedly so. Mr. Bettman said at the time, “The team hasn’t been particularly well run.” This time, Mr. Bettman, has no problem throwing Glendale under the bus, undeservedly.

Bettman also said at the time, “What you don’t do is just abandon places to go somewhere else because somehow you think you have a divine right to a franchise in a particular place.” Doesn’t that beautifully sum up exactly what IceArizona has been doing? That certainly has been IceArizona’s attitude and why? Because LeBlanc, et.al., became angry and vengeful when Glendale pulled the plug on their annual $15 million dollar subsidy. It was not a “divine right.”

I’m not sure the general public knows where Glendale’s annual $15 million payment went. The ink was not even dry on the Glendale/IceArizona contract when IceArizona sent a letter to Glendale directing that the $15 million be sent directly to Fortress Investment Group, a major entity that loaned IceArizona money to buy the team. Did you know IceArizona’s owners put relatively little of their own cash up to buy the team? Between the 10 or so investors they managed to raise $45 million toward the purchase price of $170 million with the balance of the purchase funded by two loans–one from Fortress and one from the NHL.

It is finally beginning to dawn on everyone, including the media, where the real problems lie and it’s not the location of the team. It appears as if the management (owners) has literally been systematically raping the team of all of its talent. This is reflective of a string of poor management decisions occurring over the last several years creating a poor product on the ice. This is not to demean the players for there are some very talented men on Gila River ice. However, collectively, they don’t appear to “jell.”

Perhaps the last straw was the recent trade of Martin Hanzal. Martin Hanzal and Shane Doan were buddies…more than buddies, like brothers. They worked the same line on the ice for the team for years. They were a team and could read each other’s moves instinctually. Trading Hanzal had to have been a major shock and wake up call for Doan, indisputably the icon and unique symbol of this franchise. No wonder he is reported to have said that if the right offer were to be made, he would have to give it serious consideration. If and when Doan leaves or retires, his loss will cause many fans to abandon the team.

What about IceArizona’s marketing efforts? Do you remember when they first took over the franchise, there were major media buys and you couldn’t go through a day without seeing at least one Coyotes TV ad, and often more. Today, I bet most of us cannot remember the last time we saw a TV ad for the team. They’ve disappeared from the media market. It is simply a symbol of the lack of time, money and talent being employed to advertise the team and grow the fan base.

Bettman’s ultimatum sent shock waves throughout the Valley. He angered long-term, committed fans who are now voicing remarks like, “leave” or “bye-bye.” He has created enmity where there was none and the actions and comments of IceArizona have split the Valley apart. They have created a bitter pill that no one wants to swallow.

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

How was trading Martin a shock Joyce? This has been known for months. Shane knew this also. I guess to your “surprise” the Cardinals choose not to over offer Claisis bigger money than warranted based on many factors a “shock” to you? I guess when Larry and Carson retires another shock will overcome you. Stop playing the victim Glendale’s greed overcame them.

Joyce your were a great concil member. I really believe if you were still there you would’ve helped the situation tremendously. The coyotes aren’t the only problem with sports entertainment in Glendale.

I don’t follow Glendale anymore, sorry for my omission. My continued point is Glendale has played the victims small violin soo many times over the past few years that those strings are in desperate need of replacement. My question is once the team leaves and AEG follows, are the Bidwells/Cardinals now prepared to now step into the “role” of the victims villian? We know the words “Camelback Ranch” will never be uttered at a concil meeting, those interests are well protected within City Hall.

What the city of Glendale did was the correct thing. They pulled the plug on the paid to play scheme IceArizona nicely finagled, anybody that sees this any differently is out of their mind. So now that IceArizona isn’t being paid a completely overpriced fee to manage the arena they want to leave. They blame the distance from most of their fan base on their low attendance and in reality it is their record, who wants to see a losing team? Lets remember, the fans BEGGED and PLEADED with council to continue the lease and make a deal, they wanted to stay in Glendale. Lets also not forget that Glendale was the only city in the area that offered to take on the Coyotes. The Coyotes and the NHL used and abused Glendale.

I’m sure if the City of Glendale could figure a way out of the Camelback Ranch deal they would. We need to remember who was convincing council of all of these bad dealings, and YES, the city of Glendale can continue to blame prior council and staff for these shenanigans. At least current staff and council have stepped up to the plate and are trying to correct all the wrong doings of previous idiocy.

Either way, the Coyotes will be leaving Glendale, the writing is on the wall, the city will continue to have to pay for an arena that is not being used for its purpose.

I would rather see my tax dollars going to fund education or infrastructure than to continue to bailout sports franchises. These people think the taxpayers owe them something, well, they are WRONG. Be smart and use your heads everyone, the taxpayers should NOT be the ones footing the bill on ANY professional sports teams, whether its a new arena (Coyotes & Suns) an upgraded ballpark (Diamondbacks) or parking (Cardinals), just to name a few. If the teams are not self-sufficient enough to pay for their own do they really deserve our tax dollars?

Helen. I bet you are a wonderfull lady that loves Glendale. You make some more than fair comments. However, your knowledge of the facts in the situations needs clarification.

Lets begin. Did you know that the $15M figure so many use is in fact not accurate? Per terms of the deal, the Coyoyes returned money to Glendale. In year 1 it was around $6.5M. The next year it was around $7.5M. So the net amount the COG paid wasnt close to $15M. Were you aware of that? Did you know in that deal the Coyotes had to have a certain number of events other than their games or face a penalty?

Now, with the new AEG deal, they save a couple million dollars a year. One difference, there is NO requirement of AEG to provide a minimum number of events.

Next, when the Yotes leave it is likely the south side restaurants and bars in Westgate will close. When that happens, the COG loses the tax revenue from those departed businesses. Do you think maybe that the difference between what AEG is being paid and the NET amount the Coyotes got paid might lost in the tax revenue that will be gone when the Yotes leave? Not only will the Yotes be gone but the 600K people that visited the area on games nights will be gone. You will also lose AEG as they have an out clause if the Coyotes leave. Glendale will loose all that and still have a white elephant arena.

Let me ask you this. Know that you know all that. Still think the deal with the Coyotes that Glendale broke was such a bad deal? The council SCREWED the tax payers like you. They didnt present the ENTIRE truth.

One other thing. The proposed Coyote deal with the state costs ZERO from the general Fund. I will suggest you read up on the terms of that proposed deal. All the money the state will get a bond for gets paid back by the Coyotes. Similar to a plan Mayor Scruggs supported in one of the faile deals.

Joyce, Ann and I completely agree with how you summarized the demise of the Coyotes. The owners traded Hanzal so they could increase their bottom line. Next will be Doan which is too bad because then they might as well fold up and go home. A good winning team has good experienced players so why trade your good players? We know why.
Glendale has made the right decision to have new management.
Thank you for all your hard and difficult work.

Sorry sir, you have no idea why Hanzal was traded. he is an ageing veteran that was a free agent at the end of the season. The Coyotes and Hanzal couldnt reach a contract agreement so as happens in EVERY sport, the Coyotes traded him for future assets instead of losing him this summer to another team and get nothing in return. That 100% FACT. Now, we got a 1st round draft pick and at the end of the season he is free to re-sign here. As several other Coyotes that were traded at the trade deadline have done.

Joyce, stick to the legal ebd of this. Your knowledge on the whys things happen personal wise is not very much. Most knowledgeable hockey people give the Coyotes an high mark for the way the team is being run…NOW.

Doan likely will retire after this season. Mr Traw, your knowledge of these this is severely lacking.

The fifteen million dollar subsidy is essentially the same deal Jamison had, but with more revenue going back to the city. So, if it wasn’t a subsidy when it was approved by an earlier council, it isn’t now.

Joyce was a huge cheerleader for Jamison deal. Just like Scruggs was a huge cheerleader for the Hulsizer deal. When both of those deals fell apart, they went from lovers to haters. Well more “victims” of love to put it better.